The Reflection
by Swiss With A Gun
Summary: Spoilers for KOTW. The Reflection now has magic, and it will stop at nothing to kill Valkyrie in cold blood. An oblivious Valkyrie has no idea who the masked girl is who keeps on threatening her life. Can she bring herself to kill something that has grown so much it is almost its own person, a homunculus. Not to mention that it has the powers and face of Darquesse?
1. Prologue

_The Reflection_

**Authors Note: Hi guys! I love SP and am a long time reader. I haven't written a SP FanFic before, but it'll be a nice change. ^_^ This FF is kinda for anyone who read _Kingdom Of The Wicked_ and said 'I want more!'**

Dedication – UnicornSociety and Gem-Chan

! WARNING, THIS CONTAINS SPOILER ALERT FOR KINGDOM OF THE WICKED !

_Prologue_

The reflection was pissed.

Even though she now had magic, and was almost completely free of Valkyrie's control, she'd killed Carol _and _persuaded her reflection to betray Carol's family, she _still_ had to keep an eye on Valkyrie's family as to not arouse suspicion. She was getting better and better at hiding memories and replacing them with her own custom memories. But that would end soon. Most teenage girls went on a shopping spree every Saturday, but the reflection had other plans…

It was going on a killing spree…

**Prologue END, the next bit will be up in half an hour? (Unconfirmed)**

**Please leave a REVIEW! Even guests can leave a bit of support for the author. : )**

**My name definition:**

**Miguided – from a Paramore song, Misguided Ghosts**

**Shinigami – Japanese for 'Death God' quite apt for Valkyrie, eh.**


	2. The Masked Girl

_**The Reflection**_

**Authors Note: Here's the second instalment of _The Reflection,_ and this chapter contains Zombie fun!**

**Rated T for The masked one ^^**

Valkyrie swung her legs over the brick wall and paused for a moment, trying to see if there was anyone in the battered church. She saw a long-haired silhouette pacing up and down the isles. This was the church of the faceless, and the person pacing had to be Eliza Scorn, the next crazed lunatic on her list of people who wanted to destroy the world. She had asked to deal with this alone, and Skulduggery had accepted her request and allowed her to go alone. It had been odd, taking the bus and then walking down brightly lit streets in all black, but she had ignored the stares and funny looks and just kept on walking down the bright streets. She kept low as she approached the church. She took cover by a willow tree and put a hand up to her ear, flicking back her hair to reveal a stud earring. She twisted the stud and it vibrated slightly and made a faint beep. This was a new magic invention that shut down any mortal or magic alarms, meaning that Scorn wouldn't be aware of her presence until the last minute.

She slipped her Necromancer ring onto her finger and felt the cold chill rush through her body, filling her veins with magic. She didn't notice the chill any more, she was used to it now. She ran silently across the earth, using the air to lighten her weight and make her skim across the ground to not make any noise.

Valkyrie slipped a hand into her jacket pocket and pulled out a sphere. She twisted both halves and became invisible, completely undetectable. She reached the stone wall of the castle and looked up to see a yellow-tinted window. She touched the window, it was icy cold. She took a few steps back and placed the invisibility sphere on the floor a metre away to her left. She ran over her plan again in her head and used one hand to command the air to smash the window in front of her, the other to smash one a few windows down. Valkyrie leapt to her left, under the cover of the invisibility sphere. She heard chaos inside. _So there are more people than just Scorn in there then,_ she thought. She saw a handful of people running out of the main entrance, and Valkyrie took this to her advantage, re-twisting the sphere and leaping through the window.

Whilst she was leaping through the window, she formed shadows in the shape of a sword. The shadow sword flew into her hand and she charged towards the female with red hair who was standing in the middle of the room. She stood behind her and whipped the shadow sword at her throat.

Scorn gave a light, airy laugh.

Valkyrie found her sword was not at her throat.

Scorn was at the other end of the room.

It wasn't Scorn at all.

The fake-Scorn pulled the wig off of her head.

To reveal a full-face mask that even covered her hair, if the mysterious figure had any at all.

She disappeared in a flash.

Valkyrie found herself falling, her blood spilling out in a pool all around her.

"Don't worry, Darquesse, I've killed her for you."

_I can't be beaten yet, what the hell did she even hit me with? And how did she know my true name? I've got to just get up. I may have to run, but to be honest, it's that or die here on the floor,_ Valkyrie thought. She got to her feat and threw the sword like she had done many a time in javelin in school, or the reflection had, anyway. The masked girl put her palm up and caught it with a single finger before flicking it back at Valkyrie, who ran.

She jumped back out of the window and speed-dialled Skulduggery. The masked girl appeared in front of her with the shadow sword in her hand. She slashed Valkyrie from the front and back, using her tremendous speed against Valkyrie. The masked girl threw balls of fire at Valkyrie, who dodged them and threw her own back at the girl. _Let me out, stupid._ Came the voice from inside her head. She told it no and sprinted away, praying that Skulduggery would turn up soon. She had to lose the masked girl, so she used the air to lift herself over the brick wall. She ran into a small alley, covered in foliage and used the air to create a strong barrier at both ends of the alley.

A shadow passed over her head.

A ball of fire exploded to her left.

She looked up to see the masked girl flying. She ran like her life depended on it, which it kind of did. She ran down alleys and took a quick breather under some thick hanging ivy. She looked down at the floor, then in front of her again…

To see the masked girl with two balls of flame in each hand.

That was kind of a cliffy, it was pretty short, but hey, it was pretty detailed and interesting, eh.

**PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW!**


	3. As Thick as a Brick

Okay, soooo… another chapter of The Reflection… Once again, this is dedicated to UnicornSociety and Gem-Chan. Last chappy there was going to be Thrasher/Gerald, but I couldn't fit him, but later, I promise.

Please remember to…

**Val: Leave a review! YAY! :D**

**Me: That was a little OOC… Anyhow, Fletcher, if you could please…**

**Fletcher: Misguided Shinigami doesn't own Skulduggery Pleasant.**

**Me: Hope you enjoy :D**

**Skulduggery: Why don't I get any lines :O**

**Me: Go away, there's only room for one genius in this Authors Note. (Kicks Skul out) MWAHHAAAHAAA!**

**Val + Fletch: …**

Valkyrie ran. Her breathing was deep and heavy as she sprinted, using the air to propel herself forward. It was something like perpetual motion that was accelerating her as she ran; she hadn't been paying attention in science. Forces pushing her forward had to be greater than the ones pushing against her in order for her to accelerate, that was all she had really picked up on. And accelerate she did. Running down the alley like a cheetah, she spotted the familiar white glow of the Bentley's headlights at the end of the alley. She sprinted, her eyes fixated on the Bentley's position, not blinking, not looking anywhere except straight ahead. She was going to make it.

She felt something hitting her from behind, drawing blood from a cut in her back. _Damn, I forgot to watch my back, _Valkyrie thought as she pushed even harder against the air, causing her to zoom forwards. Five metres to the end of the alley, Four… Three… Two… One…

SLAM

The breath was knocked out of her as she slammed against the Bentley's door, smashing the glass. She yanked the handle and leapt inside, slamming the door.

"DRIVE, GODDAMMITSKULDUGERRYYOUSTUPI DMORONWITHOUTABRAIN!" The irritated teen yelled.

"Seatbelt." He replied calmly

"WHY THE FREAKING HELL WOULD I CARE ABOUT A GODDAMN STUPID SEATBELT!" He just pointed in front of them in answer. Valkyrie looked forward. There was a wall of stone in front of them; the only way out of the stupid dead-end was past that wall.

"No… You are not thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?" She yanked her seatbelt.

"We can't go over it… We can't go under it…"

"Oh, fuck no…"

"We're going through it."

Driving through a brick wall… The Over and under thing is from a book I read when I was little. :D Valkyrie, wash out your mouth!

**R-E-V-I-E-W P-L-E-A-S-E **


	4. A New Type of Enemy

**A huuuuge thank you to:**

**Unicorn Society (also as a guest called Unicorn Dude) x2**

**An Opaque Facade**

**Skylair Hernandez**

**ShegoRulz x2**

**(Guest) Ahhh Paramore**

**Thanks to them, I have some reviews, but, there have been 240 views and 77 visitors over the past month or so, that's 71 people who haven't reviewed, c'mon guys, even guests can review, and it makes the author feel smug and more willing to write more chapters :D**

**Misguided Shinigami, who feels like changing her name again at some point is...**

**Random audience member: AN EMO!**

**Me: AM NOT! Besides, emo is a slang term for emotional, we are not so emotional that we cut ourselves, though.**

**Valkyrie's reflection: I saw you cutting yourself five minutes ago.**

**Me: THAT WAS MY_ REFLECTION_, BESIDES, YOU'RE EVIL, GO SIT IN THE CORNER!**

**Valkyrie's Reflection: *stalks off to the corner* **

**As I was saying, I am not associated in any way with SP, however, I did leave a nice comment on Tom Percival's blog :)**

Valkyrie grabbed her seat belt for dear life, shoving it into a secure position. Of all days, why did this have to happen on a Monday, she disliked Mondays enough as it was, now she absolutely hated them, Mondays were the days of waking up early, and... being attacked by an anonymous girl down an alley, it seemed...

For the Bentley to emerge without her exploded guts smothered on the windscreen, the teen knew what she had to do. Valkyrie half-closed her eyes and frowned deeply. The Elemental whom dabbled in Necromancy felt the air around her, she used some to hold up the shattered remains of the window, but all the rest wrapped around the car like an invisible barrier. The girl opened her eyes again, but her brow remained sceptical-looking. All that could be heard was the sound of her deep, fast breathing, nothing else could be heard.

Skulduggery slammed his polished shoe down on the accelerator.

They didn't hear the deafening crash, Valkyrie's air barrier had done it's job, blocks of stone bigger than the Bentley itself crashed down onto the roof, yet left no scratch on the spotless paint work. The car sped through the rubble as the air barrier faltered and disappeared. The sound rushed back into Valkyrie's ears, it had felt like being deaf, knowing that something was happening, yet being unable to hear the loud explosion that she could see, but not hear. She didn't call many things 'scary', but that had scared her, she had thought that she would never hear again.

The car sped away down the road, away from the masked girl.

"Hmph. Well then, Valkyrie, it is _on_." and with that the masked girl disappeared from sight.

SP SP SP SP SP SP

"A _masked_ girl. is that really all the information on this person's appearance that you can spare?" The first ever Roarhaven representative on the Council of Elders asked, veil partially covering her sneer.

"Well, I am sorry, but I must have been too caught up in _running for my life_ that I didn't consider sticking the kettle on and asking my would-be murderer about personal information. Maybe I'll try to invite her over to mine for a friendly _chat_ next time we meet." Valkyrie snapped back, quick on her heels as ever.

"So... Any ideas on who your would-be murderer is? One of your enemies maybe?"

"Oh, come _on,_ I don't have _that _many enemies..." He gave her a look. "Okay... so maybe I have a few... OKAY! A lot of enemies, but, to be honest, none of them are that co-ordinated that they'd launch a full-scale attack on me. Besides, one of them are females of my exact height..."

"So you're saying?" the skeleton detective in a suit as sharp as a sharpie questioned.

"This is a new type of enemy."

**This was really short... I'm losing inspiration for this fic, but, with reviews comes great responsibility. The responsibility to be inspired and write more. Don't think that someone else will review, because they won't. If you all think that and I don't get many reviews, I'm going to sulk and probably rage. DDD':**

**Please help an author in need by sending a review, reviews cost 0p plus your standard network charge, NOTHING!**


	5. Homunculi - The Perfect Humans?

**Chapter Five: Alchemy and Homunculi**

**Authors Note: I'm sorry! Here's my excuses for not updating;**

**school, tests, being ill for three months, Soul Eater and my fangirling over Death The Kid -_-**

**I don't know where I'm going with this fic, so I need some ideas, badly :)**

**Disclaimer: If I was able to own one of things that I write fanfics about, to be honest, it wouldn't be Skulduggery Pleasant, I'd muck it up, and besides, if I owned something like Bleach or Death Note, I could put in my favourite pairings :3**

"Where are we going, Skulduggery?" Valkyrie asked as they drove down a dark dirt road in the shade of tall, beckoning trees and the thick layer of cloud above that blocked the view of the night sky. The road was pitch black, save from the beams of the headlights on the Bentley that illuminated the path a few meters in front of them. The scene looked like something out of 'The Walking Dead' or 'World War Z', you'd expect a shuffling mass of rotten flesh, covered in ulcers and caked in dry blood with long, hard nails as sharp as scythes to appear. Instead of that, however, there was two very _strange_ people, a six foot brunette with long, graceful hair wearing plain clothes, the other was a sandy-haired man with visible arm muscles from under the sleeves of his long shirt. The man had a sharp jaw and angular nose, but his eyes were glassy, the eyes of a dead man. But this man, or whatever he was, along with the woman, were moving in a very non-zombiefied and rather undignified way. The man seemed to be bowing down to the woman as he walked in his strange way, muttering 'master' again and again. Skulduggery stopped the car in time so they didn't run the strange pair over. He lowered the window and asked if they were lost. The woman's eyes widened and she spoke in a voice that sounded like a mix of a deep, ragged male voice and a squeaky, stereotypically girly voice, like a teenage boy, but slightly more zombie-y.

"Thrasher. It's _them_. Distract them whilst I run away heroically screaming my lungs out." The woman instructed.

"Yes master." Came a simple reply from the deep voice of the male, whom bowed more so that his nose touched the dirty floor.

Valkyrie and Skulduggery had been watching the scene all along with amusement from the Bentley.

"Is that-?"

"Yes. I believe that's our great friends, would you like to talk to them?"

"No. Run them over."

If Skulduggery had been wearing his facade, you would've seen a smirk as he put his foot down on the correct pedal, the acceleration one. The car went forward at enough speed to send the two flying into the distance. Valkyrie was sure that she saw a little sparkle where they disappeared from sight.

"Satisfied?"  
"Definitely. Now, where the hell are we going in the middle of the night?" She asked her previously queried question once more.

"Well, I looked around for some clues in the week, and I have a few suspects whom I shall reveal to you later. As for where we are going, we are visiting an Alchemist. He goes by the name of The Night Alchemist, and he's nocturnal, hence our nightly departure."

"What's his actual name? Please don't say it's another 'The', I don't trust people who call themselves 'The', they try and kill me." Valkyrie moaned.

"You've only ever met one 'The' who did that. In fact, you've only ever met one 'The', full stop." The living, not so alive skeleton stated simply, as usual.

"What, are we stating our punctuation now? But that's beside the point, technically, every 'The' I've ever met has tried to kill me. Full sto- huh?" Valkyrie stopped and stared in awe, they were out of the grubby dirt road and out on a normal road, in the bright sunshine. "What? How is this possible?" She said, eyes still wide at the plain house which was bathed in sunlight.

"You were too busy attempting to outsmart me, so you didn't realise that a few yards back, the air went hazy and almost shiny. Once we passed through that, it appeared to be sunny. It's called a light sphere. It's used for making movies and for nocturnal beasts that I won't mention by name."

"Vampires." Valkyrie spat. Skulduggery sighed.

"You said the word, not me." They walked up to the house, Skulduggery knocked on the door swiftly three times.

"Come in." Came a voice. It was a simple voice, simple tone, simple mannerisms, but very hard to describe. The voice was just that, a voice. No emotion at all, just a voice.

"Why is he letting us in, we could be _anyone_."

"I forgot to mention, the light sphere also stops non-magical beings from entering. But the cleverest bit is that if a mortal were to come into contact with the sphere, they'd be transported to the other side of the sphere, where it looks so similar that nobody would notice. It's a basic form of teleportation."

"That's pretty cool." Valkyrie admitted as she and the not-quite-living skeleton entered the house. Inside, they were greeted by a man with onyx eyes and hair, an angular face, wearing a long sleeved black t-shirt and black jeans. In his hands were a small bowl and a piece of chalk.

"Hello. I am Skulduggery Pleasant, and this is my colleague, Valkyrie Cain. We would like to see your Homunculi, if you shall."

"Homunculi?"

"An artificial human."

"Wait. Like reflections?"

"Yes." Came the emotionless voice of the alchemist as he led them into his workspace. "Reflections are the most basic Homunculi, but with a few alterations, such as magic, they can become their own person, they can become to powerful that only a handful of these 'Perfect Humans' could easily destroy the world."

"Our problem just got bigger then." Skulduggery stated, trying not to hint at his suspects.

"Wait, you think that... The Reflection was the one who tried to kill me?" They entered the workroom and looked around, there were hundreds of artificial bodies, all of them had a strange-looking tattoo-type thing of a snake eating it's tail.

"That's a... Ouroboros, it represents immortality or re-birth. A dragon or serpent eating it's tail." Skulduggery spoke with curiosity. "Say, would a reflection ever get one of these?"

"Yes, if it comes into contact with magic and absorbs it, then it will have an Ouroboros tattoo. If it does possess one, then the chances are that it can use magic." The plain man stated, no emotion still.

"So the reflection..." Valkyrie began

"There's a chance it's becoming a Homunculus. It could even be trying to raise an army."

"And if that happens?"

"Everything. Everything will perish. Cease to exist."

"Isn't there any way of stopping it? Killing it?"

"Well... there's one way, but it's almost fatal for the person whose reflection it is..."

**Crappy short chapters for the win~**

**I suggest you go check out the third episode of Soul Eater immediately to see the frickinawesomelycutehotasymmetrical Death The Kid *fangirl explosion***

**Review for a cookie. Don't review and you don't get a special Cookie.**

**~Misguided Shinigami, who's direction of choice leads straight to death~**


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